Germany

In 2023, Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and its Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development published guidelines for a feminist foreign and development policy. Political headwinds, however, are jeopardising the implementation of the concepts.

Infrastructure deficiencies are paralysing Germany. But as a result of the Schuldenbremse (debt brake), urgently needed investments – including to boost climate protection – are to be postponed. This is both risky and economically short-sighted.

The German government recently adopted an action plan for its climate foreign policy. This article presents the core characteristics of this plan. Furthermore, it compares these characteristics with the findings of a recently published study conducted by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, which attempts to determine the concept of “green foreign policy”. The conclusion is that the German plan is indeed directed towards a concrete green strategy.

The European elections 2024 take place from June 6th to 9th against the backdrop of multiple crises. Our study captures the mood of citizens before the election and shows that interest in the European elections is high.

In this analytical piece, Jessica Varela dives into the history of black Germany in their quest for full citizenship from the late nineteenth century until 1921.

The concept of Heimat, which is rooted in German-speaking countries, raises questions of belonging and is often misused on the right-wing political spectrum. The AfD, a German populist party on the right, even uses food in its exclusionary othering strategy against migration

With right-authoritarian forces on the one hand and liberal-progressive ones on the other, elections in 2024 will be fought in several major democracies, including in the European Union. Focussing on the latter, this article explores the electoral chances of the European Green Party (EGP) members, an umbrella organization for environmentalist-progressive forces.

With the floods in northern Germany, the relaxation of the country’s debt brake is back on the agenda. But instead of always returning to the same debates, what is finally needed is sustainable reform. A new study shows what this could look like and sets out the options for financing climate protection over the short term.